June 14, 2026 Trinity II

June 14, 2026

Trinity II

It is not surprising that pastors and ministers are generally compassionate people. Makes sense.

But is it possible that pastors might sometimes be the object of compassion rather than a channel of compassion?

A certain pastor describes his own experience. “There I was, standing in a room full of treadmills, stationary bikes with huge fans and people with wires attached to their chests monitored by a group of nurses. I had a fresh scar running down my own chest that was still tender. The nurse who attached the sticky patches to my chest asked what I did for a living.

“I replied, ‘I’m a minister.’

“She smiled and said, ‘We get more ministers in here than any other profession.’”

The nurse then introduced the pastor with the scar down his chest to the other ministers in the room. He himself was in the cardiac rehab room because of a congenital heart defect, which had just been discovered. His colleagues, however, had cardiovascular disease that led to heart attacks.

So, are clergy frequent visitors to cardiac units? Usually, we think of ministers visiting patients, not of ministers as the patients!

The answer, according to a research article published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is, “Yes!” The CDC rated clergy as the white collar profession with the highest rate of ischemic heart disease.

Just think about those beloved potluck dinners, and see the mounds of fried chicken, high carbohydrate side dishes and all the tasty desserts. You have to ask: “Where are the healthy options?”

How many ministers, when they make a home visit, are offered cookies or pie and feel guilty about turning down such hospitality?

Our Gospel today tells us that Jesus had “pity on them.” However, multiple translations use compassion, instead of pity.

Verse 36 of today’s text reads: “When he saw the crowds, he had pity (compassion) for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.”

So, Jesus had compassion. But what is compassion?

Definitions for compassion include feeling sorrow for someone, being sympathetic and being concerned for the welfare of others.

Compassion has also been described as entering into the suffering of others.

However, in the Bible, the Greek word used gives us another nuance. It translates into English as “he had compassion” and when linked to Jesus, when he does something or when he uses it in a parable.

Through these images we begin to catch a glimpse of what divine compassion looks like in the various occurrences found in the New Testament.

In verse 36, Jesus is moved to compassion when he looks out at the crowds that have gathered. They have heard about the healings, how he cured every disease and every sickness as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom.

But as Jesus gazes out upon the masses, he sees a people who have been harassed, and he realizes just how helpless they are without someone to guide them. He sees how vulnerable they are to the bad teachings Pharisees and the figurative wolves that would prey upon sheep without a shepherd. Here we see this divine compassion connected to those in poor health, gathering because they have seen and heard of the miracles Jesus is performing.

But Jesus realizes there are too few laborers to tend to their needs.

When we compare this instance of compassion to others in the gospels we discover a similar pattern. In 14:14, the crowds again gather and Jesus has compassion on them, and that compassion is displayed through his healing of the sick among the crowds before he feeds the thousands gathered.

Again in 20:34, Jesus encounters two blind men and is moved to compassion. This compassion is demonstrated through sight being restored to the blind. Even when Jesus tells the parable of the good Samaritan as it is found in the gospel of Luke, Jesus describes the Samaritan as a person moved to compassion who tends to the man’s wounds, bandaging them and carrying him to a place to heal.

In each of these scenarios, compassion is directly linked to addressing the health and wellness of the people. Whether we see compassion in the healing of their sicknesses or the feeding of the thousands who are hungry, divine compassion is demonstrated with consideration to the health of others.

When Jesus sees all these “harassed and helpless” people, and when he realizes that few “laborers” exist to help them, he tells his disciples to hit the road. He gives them a divine mission and arms them with specific rules of the road.

First, they are to go out to the lost sheep of Israel and do two things: preach the kingdom and reveal the kingdom.

Preach the kingdom. The message is that the “kingdom of heaven has come near.” This implies an event rather than some kind of static condition or even a location. This is the same message that Jesus shares as he begins to call the disciples to come follow him in chapter 4. Now, Jesus tells the disciples to carry that same message to “the lost sheep of Israel.” However, the message that the “kingdom of heaven is near” is explicitly tied to the action the disciples are instructed to perform: to have compassion toward the lost sheep and, when able, to heal them.

 Reveal the kingdom. The kingdom of heaven is revealed through the compassion the disciples are instructed to demonstrate. This compassion is the kind that removes forms of oppression which fuel illness, diseases such as leprosy and other health conditions which often led to people being shunned by their communities. “Reveal the kingdom,” Jesus says. “Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons.”

As the disciples followed Jesus, they witnessed these examples of compassion and miraculous acts performed by Jesus. And throughout the centuries, miraculous things occurred when faithful Christians and others devoted themselves to studying causes and cures of various diseases. Advances in medicine have allowed societies to do the unbelievable in curing health conditions that were once considered incurable, even virtually eradicating many forms of illness.

Science and increased medical knowledge have helped us to better understand much of what Jesus was dealing with and what he sent the disciples out to heal. Often, what was described as demon possession was much more likely to be epilepsy or various forms of mental illness. A simple rash due to poor hygiene could have been misdiagnosed as leprosy.

Jesus gives some rules for the road, including this divine message to dispense divine compassion.

One is to rely on the hospitality of others. If you are not welcomed, he says, dust off the dirt on your feet and move on. They were not to be like the “Sons of Thunder,” who wanted to rain down fire on those who rejected Jesus. No, show compassion even when you are rejected, he says.

Another important rule (characteristic of divine compassion) is to heal, cure and cleanse — but without asking for payment! Do it for free! Jesus says, “You received without payment, give without payment.” The kingdom of heaven is near when human needs are met through those who freely care for those in need. No price can be placed on human needs. Living a life committed to the teachings of Christ leads us to seek the health and wellness of all.

When Jesus looked out upon the masses and had compassion, he sent out his disciples with a healthy mission that would begin to shape the history of medicine, wellness and the pursuit of health for centuries to come.

Stories abound throughout history of those who have fully embraced this divine mission that Jesus gave to the Twelve he sent out to show compassion.

This is the divine compassion that we find through Jesus Christ: That when there is a need, Jesus shows compassion. Not only does Jesus have compassion on us, but he tells us how to show that same compassion to others. Compassion is linked to action — action that is liberating and healing.

It is with this same divine compassion that Jesus Christ sends us out on a mission to serve those in need.

Let us pray.

In today’s gospel Jesus urges us to go seek the lost sheep. We pray that those who have been lost to our church,  whether through doubt, hurt, distraction, or the burdens of life,  may be inspired by your love, mercy and faithfulness to  recognise in you the true shepherd. We pray to the Lord.               

Jesus tells us the harvest is rich but the labourers are few.  We pray for recognition among all God’s people that we ourselves are called to be labourers for Christ. We pray to the Lord.               

We pray for all those in our church, men and women, ordained and lay, who have been called to the role of shepherd, that they may follow closely the example of Christ and bear witness to His truth and goodness. We pray to the Lord.                       

This coming Saturday, June 20^th, as the world marks World Refugee Day, we pray for migrants, refugees and strangers who have sought a new beginning in our country that they may experience generosity, kindness and freedom to live peacefully among us as brothers and sisters. We pray to the Lord.            

We pray with Pope Leo that world leaders adopt policies which ensure that no one has to leave their home due to war, economic inequalities or the                                                                                           effects of climate change. We pray to the Lord.                           

We pray for peace in the world, particularly in the Holy Land and in Ukraine, that the Holy Spirit reveals to all the futility of war and creates a desire for peace in the hearts of all men. We pray to the Lord. 

We pray that as we today learned of your compassion that you keep in your  arms, Charles Abbott Gentzsch, whom is close to coming to you. May his pain end and his comfort and p[peace begin. Do this while giving comfort to his family. We pray to the Lord.

We pray for an increase of priests, deacons and religious. We pray to the Lord.

We pray that those with generous hearts may be led to our small church and give generously to our mission so that we may continue to be a church open to all peoples . We pray to the Lord.

For those on our parish prayer list, that they may receive swift answers to their needs and that they may find consolation through Christ’s healing presence. We pray to the Lord.

We bow our heads and remember in silence our own personal intentions and the intentions of those who have asked for our prayers (pause). We pray to the Lord.

Gracious and loving Creator, Sometimes the words just are not there. God, you are so amazing that our words and thoughts of how best to praise you pale in comparison to the splendors of your name. You are the Almighty, you are the Redeemer, you are grace never ending and the embodiment of love itself. And when we come to you in prayer, sometimes words fail us in what to say. Yes, we lift up our concerns, and yet sometimes they seem so small in comparison to the tribulations encountered across your creation. How can our problems compare to disasters people face, or the fighting that surrounds people trying to escape, or the horrors that no child should ever experience? Lord God, sometimes when we come to you to pray, we are clueless as to what we should ask for. You know the thoughts in our minds and the desires of our hearts, and there are times when they conflict. Sometimes we want what is not always the best for us, and there are times that we long to hold on to the things we should let go of. There are times when really the best thing we can do is just pray thy will be done. We ask all these through Christ, our Lord. Amen.

God Love You +++

The Most Rev. Robert Winzens

Pastor – St. Francis Chapel

San Diego, CA.

As a small parish, we come to you all as beggars! Share with us this Christmas, a little sacrifice for the Christ Child. Your generous support also allows us to continue these important projects that fuel the movement of progressive Christianity. Thank you and God bless you! +++

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